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J. H. DEWHURST.

METHOD OF AND APPLIANCE FOR STBIPPING [NGOTS FROM INGOT MOLDS.

APPLICATION man OCT. 1. 1918.

1,323,255. Patented Dec; 2, 1919.

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FIG.

1. H. DEWHURST. METHOD OF AND APPLIANCE FOR SHIPPING INGOTS FROM INGOT MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. l. 918.

1,323,255. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2' Ill-II Ill-III W F ili] I vvENTvR:

F161 j E 4 F JOHN HENRY DEWHURST, or arrEncLIFrE, sHErFrnLn, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF AND APPLIANCE FOB. STRIPPING INGOTS FROM INGOT-MOLDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 2,- 1919;

Application filed Octoberl, 1918. Serial No. 256,397.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY DEW- HURST, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Dewhursts Engineering Company Limited, Atterclifi'e, Sheffield, England, have invented new and useful Improved Methods of and Appliances for Stripping Ingots from Ingot-Molds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the stripping of ingots from ingot molds of the type in which a portion of the moldbottom is removable and capable of being pushed upward by pressure externally applied in order to remove the ingot from the mold, My invention consists in an improved method of and appliances for effecting that operation characterized by the employment of molds with loose fitting bottoms or plugs as. above described, butconnected with such bottoms are stalks formed plain or with ratchet teeth to engage with a. hinged pawl in proximity thereto, the said plugs cooperating with hydraulic rams to remove the ingots from the molds, suitable permanent abutments being provided to prevent the molds rising in case cars are employed, to prevent thecarsalso from rising. My invention though ap. plicable to the stripping of ingots cast in molds fixed in casting pits of Siemens furnaces of Bessemer converters, is more especially adapted for use in cases where ingots are castin molds mounted on cars or bogies. In connection with my invention I employ molds of the kind in which the ingot is cast large end uppermost.

My invention will be better understood on reference to the accompanying two sheets of drawings in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a casting car (in section) and overhead stops employed in stripping ingots.

Fig. 2 is a plan view and. Fig. 3 is an end view of same. 7 Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a casting car and side framing of stripping apparatus with swing stops.

Fig. 5 1s a similar view of. a car in a caste ing pit with fixed stops on the side framing.

The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I will first describe my invention as applied to casting cars. To the top of such a car I fit a strong hematite iron plate a, to form the ingot mold bottom plate, and at the same time to overhang the sides of the framing of the car andprotect the wheels and draw bar gear from any overflow of molten metal, said plate a, also being provided with means for holding the ingot molds in position, a convenient arrangement being the formation of undercut slots c Fig. 4: on the plate a to engage with flanges b on the lower ends of the molds b. 1 Any desired number of molds may be placed on a car, but I find either two or fourto be the most suitable.

The, bottom and smaller end of each ingot mold is either solid or closed in except for a central hole 6?, coinciding with a similar hole in the bOttQ Il. plate a, through both of which holes passes a downwardly depending r p n Plug h 'st lk f h Plug, Y

which may rate from the plug proper is providedwith a ratchet tooth er teeth engaging with which is apivoted pawl (Z. a 7

Shortly after the-ingots have been cast in the molds, the car is run on a rail track; to a st ipping mach n C nne t on wi h whi h a p t sformecl elow he a o d n. which are situated a series ofhydraulic rams e, a. Each car is in turn passed over the pitand makes contact witha stop, in which position the before described plugs c, are directly over the hydraulic rams c, e, so that when the latter are putiinto operation the plugs c, force the ingots upward in' the molds for any desired distance. accordin to the size of the ingot, but suflicientl 1 to a ord a good hold for the gripping tongs offan overhead crane which either then v or subsequently takes hold ofthe ingot and removes it entirely from the mold. Ifthe gripping tongs do not deal with the ingots directly, the car is moved away from the hydraulic rams, but the ingots are still maintained in e r raise p s io eason f'th Paw1 which is ays he d up'ag nlst t e stalk 0f e p ug mess ging i o O he tee h formed thereon. After the ingots have been removed from the molds, b, the stripping plugs c, are again lowered by. means of an attendant turning the shafts on which the retaining pawls d, are fitted so that the late the e egr w th s ra- I ter becomedisengaged from the teeth on the I stalks ofthe plugs c, which can then descend into their normal position.

In order to p ev nt he ca being f e the tra k by h 'upwardlr ess of'the rams, in the case of an ingot sticking molds and requiring extra pressure to re move it, I provide stops 7, on the sides of the stripping pit or other structure, arranged to overhang the deck of the car on each side and at a little distance above it. These stops f, may be permanent fixtures {as shown in Fig. 5) or pivotally mounted (as in Fig. so that they automatically hang or swing into position over the ear, but it may be necessary to withdraw them to permit of the passage of a locomotive along the track, means are provided whereby this may be efiected by an attendant.

As an alternative to the last described means for preventing the lifting of the car when the rams engage sticker ingot-s, I provide an arrangement of overhead stops, such for instance as beams 01" jois s g, with open ended longitudinal slots between same (see Figs. 1, 2 and 8), fixed at a little distance above the top of the molds, b, longitudinal slots between the beans being formed of a size to admit of the passage of the ingots through them butat the same time to engage with the sides of the molds, b, and afford an abutment to prevent them rising. The adoption of this last described means permits of the free passage of a locomotive along the track at all times, as the overhead stops would be quite clear of same.

It will be obvious that the application of my invention to the stripping of ingots in casting pits, will be on very similar lines to that above described. If desired the ratchet and pawl mechanism in connection with the plugs may be dispensed with, as the hydraulic pressure in the cylinders can be maintained until the ingots have been lifted clear of the molds.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by my invention a considerable saving in time is effected by reason of the ingot molds not having to be handled so fre quently as is the case in ordinary stripping operations, in fact when once an ingot mold has been fixed in position either on a car or in apit, it need not be removed until it is worn out, thus saving the time and labor which would ordinarily be involved in handling such mold both before and after every cast in addition to whichxby reason of the ingots being dealt with more expeditiously, they are very much hotter than usual when placed in the soaking pits, which tends to a saving in fuel.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A mechanism for stripping ingots from molds, comprising plugs seated in the bottom of said molds and adapted to haveverti cal movement therein, which plugs have stems provided with ratchet teeth, and means in the for engaging said teeth thereby to hold the plugs in raised position.

2. In a mechanism for stripping ingots from molds, the combination with a casting car, of an overhanging plate, molds adapted to be held in position by said plate, said plate and mold having registering o enings, and means adapted to close the openings in the molds and provided with stems passing through the openings in said plate.

3. In a mechanism I01 stripping ingots from molds, the combination with a casting car of a superimposed overhanging plate, molds adapted to be held in position on said plate, means carried by said plate and mold for stripping ingots from the molds, and pivoted swinging stops for preventing the lifting of the car during the stripping operation.

4. In a mechanism for stripping ingots from molds, the combination with a casting car of'a superimposed overhanging plate, molds adapted to be held in position on said plate, said molds and plate having register ing openings therein, movableplugs adapted to close the openings in said molds, and having stems passing through the openings in the late, such stems being provided with ratchet teeth, means for engaging said ratchet teethfor holding the plugs in raised osition, and means for preventing the liftmg of the car during the stripping operation.

5,. In a mechanism for stripping ingots from molds, the combination with a casting car, ofmolds provided with openings in the bottom thereof, a plug adapted to close each of said openings, said plug being provided with a stem having ratchet teeth, means for engaging said ratchet teeth thereby tohold the plug in raised position, and means for engaging the molds to prevent the lifting thereof during the stripping operation.

6. In a mechanism for stripping ingots from molds, the combination of a plate having a plurality of openings therein, a mold adapted to be held on'saidplate over each of said openings, said mold having an opening in the bottom adapted to register with the opening in the plate, aflange formed on the bottom of said mold, lugs formed on said plate and having an undercut portion adapted to engage the flange of themold, thereby to retain the same with its opening in register with the opening in the plate, a plug adapted to close the opening in said mold and having a stem projecting through the opening in the plate, and means for engaging said stem, thereby to hold the plug in raised position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN HENRY Dnwnonsr. 

